Improvement in cotton-presses



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Letters Patent No. 111,840, dated February 14, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT lN COTTON-PRESSES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

Tela-ll whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, ROBERT J. HARRISON, of Raleigh, in the county of W'ake and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and improved Cottonress; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is avertical longitudinal section of my improved press;

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same in the line :t a', l;

Figure 3 is a detached section of the press, show ing the locking-plate in position;

`Figure 4 is an edge view of the lower end of the operating-lever; and

Figure 5 is a vertical section of the windlass for operating the lever and withdrawing the platen from the press.

. Similar letters ot' reference in the drawing indicate corresponding parts.

My invention has for its object to simplify' the construction of cotton and other baling-presses, and at the same time render them more economical and eiicient. To this end,

The invention consists in the construction of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawing-- A is the bottom;

B l5, the sides; and

O, the closed end of the press.

These parts a-re keyed or bolted firmly together, and constitute a rectangular box or casc to receive the cotton or hay to be baled.

D is thc end of the press through which the horizontal arm E of the pressing-platen passes, and is se-r cured in place by bolts or keys.

F is the pressing-platen, firmly connected to the inner end of the arm E, and fitting within the press with easy Contact.

(lr is the lever for opera-ting the platen, placed in an upright position within the space left between the end D and top of the press, asshown, with its lower end entering the longitudinal slot or opening formed in the platen-arm E.

The lower end of this lever is rounded upon its inner or operating edge, and faced with a stellt strap or band of iron, H, t0 strengthen vit 'and to prevent itsl becoming worn or abraded by use.

The fulcrnni ofthe lever is formed by a short metal bar, I, fastened to its back edge by means of a stra-p, J, to which the upper cnd of the strap H is attached, as shown.

The object of this construction is to avoid weakening the lever by the passage of the bar I through it,

and to adapt the bar to the bearings formed in the end D of the press without cutting entirely through the latter. By this method of attachment the whole strength of the wood forming the lever is preserved, as the strain through it is from edge to edge at its widest part.

K K are the bearings for the fulcrum-bar I, formed in the upper edge of the end D and faced with met-al, if preferred, to prevent their wear by friction.

It will be understood that by this connection of the lever with the press the former can be lifted out of its bearings forv removal at any time.

. L L are cross-bars at the upper and lower edges of the end D, serving to strengthen the latter and to4 furnish supports for the T-shaped locking-plate M.

The top ofthe press is formed of a series of remov able doors or sections, each composed of one or more strips, N, of a length equal to the width of the press, and provided upon their upper sides with two or more parallel bars, O.

The projecting ends of these bars fit within metal loops l?, fastened to one side of the press, and over theiropposite projecting ends metal loops Q are slipped, whichI also lit over studs It, secured to the opposite sides of the press.

The loops .Q are. tightened, to hold the doors in place, by means of wedges S S, driven between them and the bars O, as shown.

The operation is as follows:

The doors, one or more, are first removed by knocking out the wedges and slipping on' the loops Ob. The platen is then drawn toward the end D by means of a rope or chain, T, attached to a windlass, V, placed a short distance from thee-nd of the press, as shown in the drawing.

The press is then filled with the requisite quantity of cotton to forni a bale, the door or doors replaced, being tightened by the wedges as previously mentioned, and the rope T released from the windlass.

The upper end of the`lever is now moved toward thc press, and a. piu or bolt, Y, passed through the platen-arm in front of the rounded lower end of the lever, and the upper end of the latter pulled toward the windlass either by grasping the rope or by attaching it to the windlass, :1s will be readily understood. This movement forces the platen against the cotton, and when the throw of the lever has reached its limit, the beveled shoulders .w ofthe T-shaped locking-plate M drop into corresponding notches x, formed in the proximate upper edges of the platen-arm, and hold the platen in place, while the lever is being moved back for a second throw. This operation is continued until the bale is complete, when the doors are removed, the

bale strapped, and the platen again drawn out by the ropeand windlass, the locking-plate M being previously raised.

It will be seen that the position ofthe bevels upon the shoulders of the looking-plate and in the platenaim permit the inward movement of the platen, but prevent its withdrawal until the locking-plate is raised.

The bales are discharged from the press through a door held in its bottom in the manner previously described for the top doors.

I prefer to make the bolt Y, against which the lever presses, right-angular in form, so that its vertical arm shall extend above the press in aposiition to be easily reached for changing from one hole to another in the Y, with the end D of the press, and the notched and slotted platenarm E, all operating substantially as described for the purpose specified.:-

2. rlbe lever G, constructed with the rounded metal face vH, bar 1',- and strap Larranged in bearings as described, for the purposespecified.

3. The arrangement of the lever G and horizontal platen-arm E, with relation to cach other and the press, whereby both are adapted to be operated by the same windlass, as herein shown and described.

4. The doors of ,the press, composed of the strips N and parallel bars O, in combination with the fixed metal loops P, removable metal loops Q, studs R, and wedges S, when arranged as herein described for the purpose specified.

ROBERT J. HARRISON.

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